Alstroemeria plant named ‘Zaprikatia’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Alstroemeria plant named ‘Zaprikatia’, characterized by its compact, upright to outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; dark green and white variegated leaves; numerous bright red-colored flowers; and excellent container and garden performance.

Botanical designation: Alstroemeria hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘ZAPRIKATIA’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Alstroemeria plant, botanically known as Alstroemeria hybrida, commercially used as a potted and garden-type Alstroemeria, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Zaprikatia’.

The new Alstroemeria plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new potted Alstroemeria plants with uniform plant habit, freely flowering habit, attractive leaf and flower coloration and good garden performance.

The new Alstroemeria plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Alstroemeria hybrida ‘Zaprikate’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,214. The new Alstroemeria plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within a population of plants of ‘Zaprikate’ in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands in April, 2014.

Asexual reproduction of the new Alstroemeria plant by rhizome divisions in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands since September, 2014 has shown that the unique features of this new Alstroemeria plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Alstroemeria have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype. The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Zaprikatia’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Zaprikatia’ as a new and distinct Alstroemeria plant:

-   -   1. Compact, upright to outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded         plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Dark green and white variegated leaves.     -   4. Numerous bright red-colored flowers.     -   5. Excellent container and garden performance.

Plants of the new Alstroemeria can be compared to plants of the mutation parent, ‘Zaprikate’. Plants of the new Alstroemeria differ from plants of ‘Zaprikate’ primarily in leaf color as plants of the new Alstroemeria have dark green and white variegated leaves whereas plants of ‘Zaprikate’ have non-variegated dark green-colored leaves.

Plants of the new Alstroemeria can be compared to plants of Alstroemeria hybrida ‘Zaprilou’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,011. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Alstroemeria differ primarily from plants of ‘Zaprilou’ in flower color as plants of ‘Zaprilou’ have red purple-colored flowers. In addition, plants of the new Alstroemeria have dark green and white variegated leaves whereas plants of ‘Zaprilou’ have non-variegated dark green-colored leaves.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Alstroemeria plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Alstroemeria plant. The photograph on the first sheet is a top perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Zaprikatia’. The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of typical leaves and flowers of ‘Zaprikatia’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants of the new Alstroemeria grown during the spring in 14-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 15° C. to 25° C., night temperatures ranged from 10° C. to 15° C., soil temperatures averaged 14° C. and light levels averaged 5,000 lux. Plants were three months old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical Classification: Alstroemeria hybrida ‘Zaprikatia’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Alstroemeria     hybrida ‘Zaprikate’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,214. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—In vitro rhizogenesis.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 40 days             at temperatures of 15° C. to 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 60 days             at temperatures of 15° C. to 25° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous, fleshy, thick; color, close to             155D.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density.         -   Rhizomes: Shape: Elongate; rounded. Length: About 10 cm to             30 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm to 10 mm. Texture and texture:             Smooth; matte. Color: Close to 155D. -   Plant Description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Compact, upright to outwardly             spreading and uniformly mounding plant habit; freely             branching habit with about five to six primary lateral             branches each with about three secondary lateral branches,             dense and bushy appearance; moderately vigorous growth             habit; moderate growth rate.         -   Plant height.—About 20 cm.         -   Plant diameter (spread).—About 40 cm. -   Lateral Branch Description:     -   -   Length.—About 15 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 5 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 5 mm to 10 mm.         -   Strength.—Moderately strong.         -   Aspect.—About 45° from vertical.         -   Texture and luster.—Smooth, glabrous; semi-glossy.         -   Color, developing and fully developed.—Close to 139D. -   Leaf Description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate; simple.         -   Length.—About 5.5 cm to 9 cm.         -   Width.—About 2 cm to 3 cm.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Cuneate.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture and luster, upper surface.—Smooth, glabrous;             semi-glossy.         -   Texture and luster, lower surface.—Ribbed; matte.         -   Aspect.—Upright to somewhat horizontal, twisting.         -   Venation pattern.—Parallel.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             137A; at the margins, close to 155A. Fully expanded leaves,             upper surface: Close to 137A; at the margins, close to 155A;             venation, close to 145A. Fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: Close to 138A; at the margins, close to 155A;             venation, close to 145B.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 1.5 cm to 1.8 cm. Diameter: About 4             mm to 5 mm. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; matte.             Strength: Low, flexible. Color, upper surface: Close to             137A. Color, lower surface: Close to 138A. -   Flower Description:     -   -   Flower type and habit.—Single cup-shaped flowers arranged in             compound umbels; flowers face upright to outwardly; perianth             segments separate; freely flowering habit with about 30             flower buds and flowers per plant at one time.         -   Natural flowering season.—Flowering continuous from the             spring until the autumn in The Netherlands; early flowering             habit, plants begin flowering about 70 to 80 days after             planting.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About ten days; flowers not             persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 3.5 cm. Diameter: About 1.6 cm.             Shape: Roughly ovoid. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous;             semi-glossy. Color: Close to 138B; streaks, close to 185B.         -   Umbel height.—About 10 cm.         -   Umbel diameter.—About 15 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 6 cm.         -   Flower depth.—About 6 cm.         -   Perianth.—Arrangement: Six arranged in two whorls, each             whorl with two lateral and one median segments. Inner             perianth, lateral segments: Length: About 5.5 cm. Width:             About 2.2 cm. Shape: Oblanceolate. Apex: Wishbone-shaped and             acuminate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Proximally, entire and             distally, dentate. Texture and luster, upper surface:             Smooth, glabrous; semi-glossy. Texture and luster, lower             surface: Ribbed; matte. Color, when opening and fully             opened, upper surface: Close to 160B; distally, close to             50A; proximally, close to 50C; stripes, close to 185A; with             development, distal color becoming closer to 51A. Color,             when opening and fully opened, lower surface: Distally,             close to 50B; proximally, close to 163D; color does not             change with development. Inner perianth, median segment:             Length: About 4.5 cm. Width: About 2.5 cm. Shape:             Oblanceolate. Apex: Wishbone-shaped and acuminate. Base:             Attenuate. Margin: Proximally, entire and distally, finely             dentate. Texture and luster, upper surface: Smooth,             glabrous; semi-glossy. Texture and luster, lower surface:             Ribbed; matte. Color, when opening and fully opened, upper             surface: Close to 50A; stripes, close to 185A; with             development, color becoming closer to 51A. Color, when             opening and fully opened, lower surface: Distally, close to             50B; proximally, close to 163D; color does not change with             development. Outer perianth, lateral segments: Length: About             5 cm. Width: About 4 cm. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Embedded             point. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire; undulate. Texture             and luster, upper surface: Ribbed; semi-glossy. Texture and             luster, lower surface: Ribbed; matte. Color, when opening             and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 50A; towards the             apex, close to 143C; color becoming closer to 51A. Color,             when opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close to 50B;             towards the apex, close to 143A; color does not change with             development. Outer perianth, median segment: Length: About             5.5 cm. Width: About 4 cm. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Embedded             point. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire; undulate. Texture             and luster, upper surface: Ribbed; semi-glossy. Texture and             luster, lower surface: Ribbed; matte. Color, when opening             and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 50A; towards the             apex, close to 143C; color becoming closer to 51A. Color,             when opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close to 50B;             towards the apex, close to 143A; color does not change with             development.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Strength: Strong. Angle: About 25° from stem axis. Texture             and luster: Smooth, glabrous; semi-glossy. Color: Close to             143A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically             six. Filament length: About 3.5 cm to 4 cm. Filament color:             Close to 46B. Anther size: About 0.8 mm by 2 mm. Anther             shape: Elliptical. Anther color: Close to 199B. Pollen             amount: Abundant. Pollen color: Close to 163D. Pistils:             Quantity per flower: One. Style length: About 3 cm. Style             color: Close to 46B. Stigma diameter: About 0.7 mm. Stigma             shape: Three-parted. Stigma color: Close to 46B. Ovary             color: Close to 144A.         -   Fruits and seeds.—To date, fruit and seed development have             not been observed on plants of the new Alstroemeria. -   Pathogen & Pest Resistance: To date, plants of the new Alstroemeria     have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common     to Alstroemeria plants. -   Garden Performance: Plants of the new Alstroemeria have been     observed to have excellent garden performance and to tolerate wind,     rain and temperatures from about −5° C. to about 40° C. and to be     suitable for USDA Hardiness Zone 9. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Alstroemeria plant named ‘Zaprikatia’ as illustrated and described. 